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| New Zealand MP 'Dildo Baggins' cops sex toy in the face and takes ribbing on the chin | New Zealand MP 'Dildo Baggins' cops sex toy in the face and takes ribbing on the chin |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A New Zealand member of parliament dubbed “Dildo Baggins” when a protester lobbed a sex toy at him has been gleefully lampooned by John Oliver after telling the late-night host on Twitter to “get it over with”. | A New Zealand member of parliament dubbed “Dildo Baggins” when a protester lobbed a sex toy at him has been gleefully lampooned by John Oliver after telling the late-night host on Twitter to “get it over with”. |
| Steven Joyce, the minister for economic development, was speaking to media ahead of New Zealand’s national Waitangi Day earlier this month when a protester flung a sex toy at him, shouting “That’s for raping our sovereignty.” | |
| The protester, Josie Butler, a nurse from Christchurch, said she was protesting against the Trans-Pacific Partnership. She was taken away by police, but was not charged. | The protester, Josie Butler, a nurse from Christchurch, said she was protesting against the Trans-Pacific Partnership. She was taken away by police, but was not charged. |
| The footage of the sizeable, flesh-tone dildo hitting Joyce squarely in the face was widely reported on – even remixed to New Order. | The footage of the sizeable, flesh-tone dildo hitting Joyce squarely in the face was widely reported on – even remixed to New Order. |
| The New Zealand prime minister, John Key, was not impressed by the protest, pointing out that it had received international media coverage. | The New Zealand prime minister, John Key, was not impressed by the protest, pointing out that it had received international media coverage. |
| “It’s appalling because that image has gone around the world and now there’s people in countries all over the world who are saying that the way New Zealanders commemorate or celebrate their national day is with a senior politician having a sex toy thrown at them,” he said. | “It’s appalling because that image has gone around the world and now there’s people in countries all over the world who are saying that the way New Zealanders commemorate or celebrate their national day is with a senior politician having a sex toy thrown at them,” he said. |
| But Joyce took it on the chin, even admitting to media that he found it “a little bit humorous, at the end of it all”. | But Joyce took it on the chin, even admitting to media that he found it “a little bit humorous, at the end of it all”. |
| “Fair to say, I don’t think those sorts of things happen every day ... New experiences in politics every day – it’s the privilege of serving.” | “Fair to say, I don’t think those sorts of things happen every day ... New experiences in politics every day – it’s the privilege of serving.” |
| He also tweeted: “Someone send the gif over to John Oliver so we can get it over with ...” | He also tweeted: “Someone send the gif over to John Oliver so we can get it over with ...” |
| Related: John Key: New Zealand prime minister's weirdest moments (so far) | Related: John Key: New Zealand prime minister's weirdest moments (so far) |
| The late-night host has taken a keen interest in New Zealand over the past 12 months, reporting on Key pulling a waitress’s ponytail and his bid to change the flag. | The late-night host has taken a keen interest in New Zealand over the past 12 months, reporting on Key pulling a waitress’s ponytail and his bid to change the flag. |
| Oliver said on Last Week Tonight on Sunday that the Pacific nation – “the homeland of Lorde”, “that place where people who are happier than you go on vacation”, “Australia’s Chia Pet” – had been covered so much on the show that there was going to be a “moratorium on discussing New Zealand ... until this happened”. | Oliver said on Last Week Tonight on Sunday that the Pacific nation – “the homeland of Lorde”, “that place where people who are happier than you go on vacation”, “Australia’s Chia Pet” – had been covered so much on the show that there was going to be a “moratorium on discussing New Zealand ... until this happened”. |
| “Step aside, Citizen Kane,” said Oliver after the clip of Joyce taking the sex toy to the face. “There’s a new greatest film in town.” | “Step aside, Citizen Kane,” said Oliver after the clip of Joyce taking the sex toy to the face. “There’s a new greatest film in town.” |
| In an extended segment he described as “inevitable”, Oliver then “got this over with”, as requested by Joyce, starting with footage of Joyce’s face and a dildo superimposed on a giant flag being waved by the filmmaker Peter Jackson. | In an extended segment he described as “inevitable”, Oliver then “got this over with”, as requested by Joyce, starting with footage of Joyce’s face and a dildo superimposed on a giant flag being waved by the filmmaker Peter Jackson. |
| “What do you think of the new dildo flag?” Jackson asked Key from the capital city Wellington. “Once again, New Zealand punches against its weight.” | |
| .@stevenljoyce We made your country a new flag. Here's Peter Jackson to show it to you. Let's get this over with... pic.twitter.com/NxH4ojRldU | .@stevenljoyce We made your country a new flag. Here's Peter Jackson to show it to you. Let's get this over with... pic.twitter.com/NxH4ojRldU |
| Oliver then presented “a choir singing about the dildo incident to the tune of the Hallelujah chorus”. | Oliver then presented “a choir singing about the dildo incident to the tune of the Hallelujah chorus”. |
| “Is this what you wanted, Steven Joyce? Is this what you wanted?” yelled Oliver as flying, human-sized dildos bounced behind him. “Careful what you wish for.” | “Is this what you wanted, Steven Joyce? Is this what you wanted?” yelled Oliver as flying, human-sized dildos bounced behind him. “Careful what you wish for.” |
| We'll see you next week! Goodnight! pic.twitter.com/aRa0o4urSL | We'll see you next week! Goodnight! pic.twitter.com/aRa0o4urSL |
| Joyce’s response to the clip on Twitter was tentatively positive. | Joyce’s response to the clip on Twitter was tentatively positive. |
| Well that was actually pretty funny | Well that was actually pretty funny |
| As noted by its host, the Last Week Tonight segment ensures Joyce is unlikely to live down “dildogate” – as it has been dubbed by the national media – any time soon. | As noted by its host, the Last Week Tonight segment ensures Joyce is unlikely to live down “dildogate” – as it has been dubbed by the national media – any time soon. |
| He told reporters on Tuesday that Oliver had “outdone himself”, and that he did not think any harm had been done to New Zealand’s international image: “You’ve got to be able to take a joke in politics ... Hopefully he’s got it out of his system.” | He told reporters on Tuesday that Oliver had “outdone himself”, and that he did not think any harm had been done to New Zealand’s international image: “You’ve got to be able to take a joke in politics ... Hopefully he’s got it out of his system.” |
| On Jackson’s involvement, he said Jackson was a “talented director” but “probably better behind the camera”. | On Jackson’s involvement, he said Jackson was a “talented director” but “probably better behind the camera”. |
| A spokeswoman for Joyce told Guardian Australia that he did not intend to comment any further on dildogate. | |
| Joyce had earlier appeared on Last Week Tonight in the lead-up to the 2014 New Zealand national election, when the National party was accused of having infringed copyright of Eminem’s Lose Yourself in a campaign advertisement. | |
| In a clip, Joyce – then the party’s campaign manager – said he thought the song was “pretty legal”. | |
| “We think these guys are just having a crack,” he said. | |
| Oliver praised his “brilliant legal defence”. | Oliver praised his “brilliant legal defence”. |